Yemeni Jambiya for restoration....but is it worth it?

Michael Blalock · 26th October 2007, 10:40 PM

Just because it's a cheap jambiya doesn't mean it is not a genuine ethnographic item. The population of Yemen was 7 million in the 60's and has grown to 22 million today. Every man wears one. That's several million jambiyas. They are like ties for Westeners and once you get out of the wealthy antique class, most impoverished Yemeni men(who make up the majority of the population) want a nice new shiny one. So, there are millions of them floating around.
Bakelite amber has been around since the 1800's. I have never heard of genuine amber (fossilized tree sap) in a jambiya handle anyway. A piece real amber that size would be worth a lot of money compared to the going rate for a jambiya.
Also, the majority of the blades are made with two layers of sheet metal, they are for looks, not use and this makes them lighter to wear all day. I used to watch them made in the souq. The maker would hammer out the two sides, braze the halves together and then burnish the welds.

Antique jambiyas of any quality are very rare nowadays and new ones are made to imitate the older jambiyas, even for the locals to buy.

26th October 2007, 10:40 PM	#19
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	Just because it's a cheap jambiya doesn't mean it is not a genuine ethnographic item. The population of Yemen was 7 million in the 60's and has grown to 22 million today. Every man wears one. That's several million jambiyas. They are like ties for Westeners and once you get out of the wealthy antique class, most impoverished Yemeni men(who make up the majority of the population) want a nice new shiny one. So, there are millions of them floating around. Bakelite amber has been around since the 1800's. I have never heard of genuine amber (fossilized tree sap) in a jambiya handle anyway. A piece real amber that size would be worth a lot of money compared to the going rate for a jambiya. Also, the majority of the blades are made with two layers of sheet metal, they are for looks, not use and this makes them lighter to wear all day. I used to watch them made in the souq. The maker would hammer out the two sides, braze the halves together and then burnish the welds. Antique jambiyas of any quality are very rare nowadays and new ones are made to imitate the older jambiyas, even for the locals to buy.